3. The place is closed

A friendly local with surprisingly good English intercepts you while you are near a tourist attraction. He mentions that the place is closed, but there is somewhere else which is as good or even better than the closed attraction.

He either brings you there, or gets a cab driver nearby to help. If he does get a cab driver, these crooks are actually in cahoots.

Take the cab, and you will be whisked off to shops where the driver gets a commission if you buy something. What’s worst, is that the driver may bring you to a secluded spot and then rob you.

It’s not just strangers on the streets, but taxi drivers can be perpetrators of this scam as well.

One could simply take a longer route, then casually mention that he forgot to inform you earlier that your original destination is closed. As such, he has taken it upon himself to drive you somewhere better.

What to do:

Keep to your plan.

4. Lost and found money

Salvador

How it works:

A stranger approaches and tells you that he has found a huge stack of money on the floor. He then proceeds to split it with you even if you protest.

The next moment, an accomplice comes by and claims that the money is his. He will snatch the money and to his horror, find some of it missing.

At this point, the stranger will egg you on to pay back half of it. Else, he claims that both of you might get assaulted by the accomplice or his gang.

What to do:

Firmly decline and get away as soon as possible.

5. Drug planting

How it works:

Drugs are unlikely to affect tourists, though there have been instances of drug planting.

Should you get caught by the police, you will have to pay a big bribe. The area around the Bolivian border is a hot spot for this scam.

Get a good travel insurance (e.g. World Nomads, trusted by Lonely Planet and National Geographic – check our review) which covers loss of valuables.

2. Spilled liquid scam

Sol, Rio De Janeiro

How it works:

This is a rather common scam around the world (e.g. USA, UAE, etc) but executed with different material.

In Brazil, there have been reports where a scammer will squirt green / brown goop onto you / your stuff.

Next, an accomplice or a group of them will appear out of nowhere and offer to help you clean it off for a fee. Some will say it’s for free, and then go on to demand a fee once they have completed the service.

In other countries, it could be mustard, sunscreen, or any other material that seems dirty and gross.

Some of them won’t even ask, but will force themselves on you to clean you up. In the process, they steal your valuables.

What to do:

Stay alert while walking on the streets.

If you ever find yourself in such a situation, stand your ground and push whoever tries to help you away .

5. Emergency numbers

Join the community!

Get protected!

4 Comments

Why spend your hard earned cash on a place you cannot “really” relax because you can be assaulted at anytime – plus third world countries tend to be very dirty – littering for instance is like a hobby in Brazil everyone does it everywhere – why risk your life and the life of you loved ones
Australia or New Zealand would be a much better choice

Brazil has sure gone downhill in the last decade. It was always a somewhat adventurous place to visit, but the crime was somewhat tolerable if you were careful. Also, crime was very low in the classy beach resorts, etc, places like Buzios. Not anymore, anyone is a target anywhere now. I had lots of fun there in the 1980s and early 1990s, but you could not pay me to go to Brazil in 2018.

Brazil is a hispanic country obviously. It is the worst country in Latin America to visit. Its no surprise that it has the highest crime rate in the region. When I traveled there I was approached almost on a daily basis by scammers.

Non-brazilian guys traveling to try to find love there should look elsewhere. The brazilian girls start getting fat and lose their beauty by the time they hit their 30s. Not worth it. Plus, brazilians in general don’t like white people. That’s a fact.

Surprisingly, Cuba has the lowest crime rate in the western hemisphere. Likely because of the strict nature of communism. Cuba is a safe choice for travel. I’d go there.